On the morning of 9/11, I remember repeatedly thinking to myself, “things are never going to be the same again.” But here we are nearly 10 years later, and things over the past decade have been creeping back to sameness. Yes, the Twin Towers will never again punctuate the skyline of New York City, but rebuilding in the region takes place 24/7, shops are back in business, and commerce is flowing. Perhaps one of the biggest indicators of this return to normalcy is the announcement that a brand-new hotel is using its Ground Zero location as a unique draw to bring in tourists.

What I love about travel is the way it expands your worldview. I admit that I have occasionally felt like I had it hard here in the U.S. But all it takes is a trip beyond our borders and I remember how very lucky I am.

And inevitably when the citizens of my host country open their arms and welcome me, treat me like a guest in their beautiful country, I am humbled anew. Travelers are acutely aware that the world is not a collection of different people and countries, but rather a global community where people rely upon one another. And they understand that the gift of travel comes with responsibilities.

I’ve never been much into the Olympics, but after a trip to Vancouver and Whistler in January I caught a bit of a bug. Anxious to keep the spirit alive as I waited for the Games to begin, I planned an early February trip to Lake Placid, NY, home to the 1932 and 1980 Winter Games and a place both entrenched in and proud of its Olympic history. From ‘Miracle Monday’ specials at the famous Dancing Bears Bar to the photos of champion Olympians past hanging on the walls at the High Peaks Resort to the signs all over town wishing ‘good luck’ to local Andrew Weilbrecht, member of the US Olympic Alpine Ski Team -- the Olympic ties practically hit you over the head at every turn in this tiny town in New York’s Adirondacks.

When Marilyn Monroe sang the infamous song, it was for John F. Kennedy's birthday. But this Monday it's America's first president who'll be getting the birthday honors. Turn up the volume on your own celebration with a trip to one of the U.S.'s most presidential sights--South Dakota's Mount Rushmore.

Last weekend I turned a page in my addiction to Amazon.com’s travel bookstore: I decided to take it to the street. I set off on a self-styled walking tour of New York City’s brick-and-mortar travel bookshops to see what they had to offer, and I was thrilled with what I found. From now on, I’ll be taking all of my visitors to these spots so they can read up on NYC and plan their next trip. And the next one. And the one after that.

Nicholas Wolaver is a PR man by day and an Olympics superfan and historian by...well, also by day. He’s managed to marry his interests with a career that’s sent him to a half-dozen Olympic Games—experiences he blogs about at Olympic Rings and Other Things. From his temporary post in Vancouver, he talked to us about his travels, Vancouver and Whistler tips, and social media at the Olympics.

As the manager of Travelocity's Travel for Good program, one of the big questions I get asked is: Does the carbon offset money really do anything? Do they really plant trees with it?

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!!!

Every single penny donated to our carbon offset program goes to The Conservation Fund's Go Zero program. We partnered with them because they focus on reforestation and they work right here in the U.S. of A. Plus, the Fund has been awarded an A+ rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy and a four-star rating from Charity Navigator. In straight talk, that means your dollars go to work and are not frittered away on high overhead or silly expenses.

The Gadget Guru is here to alert you to two travel apps you might want to download if you're heading to Los Angeles or hitting the slopes soon.

If you're anything like me, the last thing you want to be is the dork whipping out a map every five seconds on vacation. That's why I LOVE my Google Maps app on my iPhone. Hey, I might be checking my email for all you know, and not, ahem, looking for a store that's right behind me. But the Google Maps app is fairly bare bones when it comes to entertainment, so that's why I love fun travel map apps like the Celebrity Star Maps and iTrailMap.

Please join us in welcoming Kristin Luna to The Window Seat. She lives in San Francisco and is the writer of the Bloggie-award-winning travel blog Camels and Chocolate.

In Berlin, nothing is forgiven or forgotten. So says the inscription beside Weisse Kreuze, a memorial of seven white crosses to those who tried to escape the GDR for West Berlin after the border was sealed off, silently reminding its residents of a turbulent era that could all too easily repeat itself. Twenty years ago today, the Wall—Berliner Mauer—came tumbling to the ground (metaphorically, of course), and while the city has been whitewashed and many remnants from the Cold War swept under the rug, all other activity in Berlin has come to a halt to commemorate this crucial anniversary of Germany's reunification.

It's hard for me to think "ad" without immediately sticking "banner" in front of it. And with such a strong modern association between advertising and the internet, it's even stranger to consider that hand-painted ads and posters were the norm just a few decades back. So, as a tribute to commercial travel's rich history--and a visual break from the twitching, screen-devouring flash ads we've gotten so used to--I'd like to share 25 of my favorite vintage travel ads:

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